Are you willing to invest in your energy future? Social scientists at ACEEE sustainability conference may answer for you!

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) kicks of its 2011 Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Conference (BECC) today in Washington, D.C. What’s especially unique about this four-day event is that it invites social scientists to contribute valuable social and behavioral insights to the larger energy and climate debate.

Reviewing recent behavioral research with policymakers and energy experts, these “cultural fluents” will recommend effective communication strategies for inspiring sustainable practices among the general population.

We can’t overstate the importance of sound policies that support a comprehensive national energy strategy and that promote and develop all of America’s energy resources. But how much does success in securing our energy future depend on us – you and I?

There is, indeed, a bright future just beneath our feet in abundant supplies of natural gas from shale. And with the help of chemistry, domestic manufacturers have created technologies that allow us to stretch our energy supply further than ever, offering us products that boost energy efficiency and that help lower our energy costs. And, not to be forgotten, many of our cities have direct access to waste-to-energy facilities where workers can recover energy from the plastics we don’t recycle, and convert them, along with other municipal solid waste, into electricity to power our homes and cars.

But all of this, as energy expert Dr. Daniel Yergin has indicated, depends on a willingness to invest in our energy future – to safely and responsibly tap into that 100-year supply of natural gas from shale, to make use of the countless energy-efficient products and solutions made available to us, and to change the way we view and dispose of municipal solid waste.